unclear

Chapter 54 Xu Guangqi

In fact, the early dynasty was of no use in handling national affairs. It was just a face-saving project to demonstrate the imperial power.As long as the emperor is willing to show up from time to time, have a meeting with the cabinet bachelors if nothing happens, and humbly follow the suggestions of the bachelors, nothing will be delayed.

But no one in the cabinet or the courtiers noticed that hundreds of orphans quietly appeared in the palace outside Bei'anmen. Under the leadership of three Western monks and several children, they studied non-stop every day. .Except for children's enlightenment books, I didn't know the rest of the textbooks I studied, such as geometry, geography, basic physics and chemistry.

Since this is an imperial village, outsiders cannot easily enter. All we know is that it is the temple of Monk Xi. Anyone with a child who cannot feed himself or a beggar on the street can knock on the door and ask for help.Generally speaking, as long as they are not stupid, they will be taken in even if they are disabled.

In addition, in the Imperial Mansion near the Yongding River in the west of the city, a tall furnace was erected at some point. Fireworks continued day and night, and people were buzzing all day long. There were often carts and carts of heavy goods coming in and out.

In Zhangjiawan in the east of the city, there is a similar Huangzhuang with constant fires. The only difference is that there are two signboards, one for Time Workshop and the other for Liuguangzhai.

Most common people don't know what Time Workshop and Liuguangzhai do, but they can ask the merchants who come to purchase, and then they will be even more confused.The time workshop produces an instrument called a self-ringing clock, which can accurately tell the time, more accurately than looking at the old Yang'er, and more accurately than ringing a bell from a bell tower.

Sounds weird, right?The price is even more outrageous. A palm-sized gadget can be sold for hundreds of taels of silver.Don’t be too expensive. Merchants from the south told me that they would take the chiming bells to Nanzhili and Jiangsu and Zhejiang by boat and sell them as much as they could, and the local wealthy businessmen would rush to buy them.

If it weren't for the fact that the Time Workshop was an industry in the palace, they would have spent a lot of money to poach all the craftsmen and send them directly to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to build workshops to make and sell them now, hot!

Liuguangzhai is much easier to understand in comparison. There are two kilns in it, both of which are used for firing glassware.It's just that this kind of colored glaze is more transparent than ordinary colored glaze and has almost no color at all.The made wine sets and tea sets are crystal clear, and you can clearly see the inside from the outside whether you are holding wine or making tea, which is amazing.

But like the self-ringing bells, most of Liuguangzhai's glassware is sold to the south, and is also expensive.Anyway, it has nothing to do with ordinary people. Without self-ringing bells and glassware, everyone should eat, drink, and go underground to do errands, without any delay.

There were some local scoundrels who wanted to come here, but after trying it once, they never dared to come here again.There are not only craftsmen in the imperial manor, but also royal guards wearing plain clothes and carrying swords.Who can afford to offend this thing? It’s better to stay away as soon as possible.

Seeing that the new year was approaching, Li Zhi had just finished discussing the new year's title with the cabinet bachelors when he quietly reported the news that Xu Guangqi, the new head of the Ministry of Works Yu Heng's Cleaning Department, had arrived in Beijing.

"Are you Xu Guangqi?" Hong Tao summoned Xu Guangqi in the side hall of Yangxin Hall. He was a little disappointed when he first met.

This man did not look like a decent person at all. His eyebrows were very short, his beard was very sparse, his dark circles were deep, and there was a sarcoma on the right side of his nose. In his early 40s, he had a bulging belly, his eyes were still a bit unfocused, and he looked listless.

"Your Majesty, Xu Guangqi, bow to His Majesty the Emperor!" This question forced Xu Guangqi to salute again, kowtowing three more times in vain.

But it's not a bad thing, he was just a civil servant before, but he suddenly became a sixth-grade official of the Ministry of Industry, and he was more interested in Yu Heng, the official secretary of the Qing Dynasty.I heard from teachers Jiao Hong and Li Zhi that it was the young emperor who appointed him, and it would be okay to have three more thanks to him.

"I heard that you are proficient in astronomy, calculations, and firearms. Can you understand these?" Hong Tao said silently that he should not judge people by their appearance, and then he started to get down to business.According to historical records, Xu Guangqi imitated muskets and artillery.If it is true, it must be inseparable from the knowledge of casting and machining. No matter how primitive it is, it is much better than nothing.

Hong Tao's small box contains relevant information, all of which were successfully tested and mass-produced in the Song Dynasty. From raw material collection to post-processing, it is more suitable to start from scratch.The reason why these things were not shown to the eunuchs and craftsmen was not to keep them secret, but because they could only copy what was happening and did not have the ability to draw inferences.

If possible, Hong Tao would like to find someone who has certain cultural accomplishments and relevant knowledge reserves, who is full of curiosity and who is willing to endure hardships and explore new things to be responsible for the future smelting and casting industry.In this way, I don’t have to do everything myself and be both a technician and an engineer.

Judging from the current situation, he will not have the opportunity to leave the palace frequently for a long time.The reason why Xu Guangqi went all the way to the capital and was hired as an exception was because he was used as a substitute.

"...This is the method of smelting iron! This is the method of casting bells! This is...for being stupid and betraying the grace of God!" Xu Guangqi took a few booklets that were not too thin and had 1 question marks. Open slowly.

Then he forgot about the existence of time, and actually knelt on the carpet of the Nuan Pavilion of Yangxin Hall and stared at it for a full quarter of an hour before slowly raising his head, his face full of shame.I only understood two and a half of the six pamphlets in total. Although they were all written in Chinese characters, I couldn't understand what they were saying.

"That's right. If you can read a book, you are a great talent. If I am willing to teach you everything in these books, are you willing to help me do some thankless things?"

But Hong Tao's expression was very relaxed. He had not wasted his efforts, nor had he waited for three months in vain. This man was indeed a talent. He could understand the process of blast furnace ironmaking and cannon casting just by relying on notes and explanations. It definitely exceeded expectations.

"I... Ouch... I am innocent, I am guilty..." When he heard that the emperor actually knew the things in these pamphlets and was willing to teach himself, Xu Guangqi got a little carried away. Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly rolled sideways. Beside him, his legs kept kicking and his mouth kept whining in pain.

"It's okay, I just got cramps after kneeling for a long time." Wang An on the side immediately came up to protect him, but Hong Tao stopped him.He personally stepped forward and stretched out his hands to massage Xu Guangqi's legs a few times. This strange man who even dared to join the Catholic Church was so frightened that he threw his head on the ground and begged for mercy, unable to speak.

"Look...Xu Guangqi, if you still want to learn the methods of coking, steelmaking, casting, and post-heat treatment with me, then hurry up and answer the questions. You must think carefully before making a decision. Once these things are built, they cannot be hidden. All things are important to the country.

Not only did they make Ming Dynasty strong and powerful, they were also regarded as a thorn in the flesh by the courtiers.In a long period of time, not only will it not bring you glory, but it may become a reminder of your death.If you learn these things, you may be able to honor your ancestors, or you may be shattered into pieces.

I will try my best to protect you, but things in the DPRK are very complicated, and sometimes even I have to make decisions against my will.If you make a choice, you cannot change it, otherwise I will dig these things out of your mind without anyone else! "

There is a saying that no heavy hammer is needed to play a drum. Hong Tao is more optimistic about Xu Guangqi's adventurous spirit.He was very courageous in taking the lead in converting to Catholicism in order to learn Western learning.There is no need to be secretive on my side. There is no need to discuss technical aspects for the time being. Risks other than technology must be discussed in advance.

(End of this chapter)